MDC legislators get stick for behaviour

HARARE – Government has lashed out at the behaviour of MDC Alliance MPs
after the legislators hackled Chief Justice Luke Malaba and Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission (Zec) chairperson Priscilla Chigumba in Parliament on
Tuesday.

Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi who is leader of government business in
the august House promised to put in place necessary instruments to deal
with the “uncouth” behaviour.

Malaba was first embarrassed when he entered the National Assembly
chambers as the MDC Alliance MPs started to shout “mbavha, mbavha (thief,
thief),” “ hatidi Malaba muno imbavha (we don’t want Malaba here he is a
thief)”.

It did not end there as he had another torrid time as opposition
legislators tried to stop him from swearing-in Speaker of the National
Assembly Jacob Mudenda and his deputy Tsitsi Gezi.

However, despite the disruptions Malaba managed to go ahead with the
swearing-in amid heavy resistance from the opposition.

It was even worse for Chigumba who in the eyes of the opposition was at
the centre of the alleged rigging.

As she entered the National Assembly, MDC Alliance legislators started
shouting “mbavha yemaelections, mbavha yemaelections (elections thief)”.
Interestingly Zanu PF legislators did not come to her rescue choosing to
remain silent.

As the MDC Alliance denounced her, Chigumba remained stone faced as she
took her seat.

Ziyambi said they are going to see what they can do to stop opposition
legislators from behaving in such a way.

“As Parliament we are going to sit down as the privileges committee to
look at the MDC MPs’ behaviour, we want to see what can we do because this
is uncalled for.

“What was done by the opposition is very unfortunate; we started the
proceedings well and we voted very well. The Chief Justice was there by
virtue of being the Chief Justice and Parliament is a child of the
Constitution.

“If you look at the Constitutional Court judgment it came out without any
dissenting opinion….

“To behave in such a manner is disgraceful. It doesn’t paint a good
picture even to the international community.”

Ziyambi said it is shameful that in future the opposition parties want the
courts to respect them while they are denigrating the judges.

“Tomorrow they want to go and appear before the same courts they are
denigrating.

“Even their leader Nelson Chamisa is an officer of the court and it’s
unfortunate that he allows that behaviour to come from his MPs.

“We need to oppose each other respectfully.

“We have differences but let us argue in a good manner.”

However, MDC Alliance chief whip Prosper Mutseyami hailed his MPs for
their behaviour.

“I want to thank the MPs who showed their disgruntlement with the Chief
Justice.

“Going forward we are going to work harder but for all those who we are
not happy with, we are going to show our unhappiness,” Mutseyami said just
after Mudenda’s swearing-in..